Status Updates From The Sussex Murder

They go to visit Michael at the archeological site in lewes. Find out he’s not the best person.

The dog dies, then he goes to the local Lido, and he finds a dead body, which makes his mood worse.

A dinner for 13 is bad luck, so they encourage another. And bonfire night goes off. Nothing really happens.

Morley talks with excitement about Lewes. An important dinner will take place

Sefton and Morley watched how Brighton rock is made. Then they all leave for Lewes. Miriam adamant that they will not stop at any stops along the way

Sefton sits with mollie after her show and drinks champagne. The next morning at breakfast, disagreements with the waiters because of Miriam’s dog. And Miriam tries to persuade her father that they don’t need to go to several different locations

They arrive in Brighton and find Morley with the American.

We meet Sefton. Who’s been helping Morley and his daughter with investigations for 4 months but now he wants out. A weird incident in the east end and a chat with Miriam, it looks like he’s going to be roped into the Sussex situation. One more investigation.

So many asides. I think the author really loves these characters and is more focused on their study than the murder mystery. It's quite endearing, but also quite dull.

I just read a whole chapter about rock making. Where is the blimming murder? There's a good idea behind this series and I hope the author enjoys traveling around the counties, looking for inspiration (everyone has to make a living and it's probably a jolly nice way to do it), but I wish he'd woven the murder mystery in with the travel, because it currently feels entirely tangential to it.

A brief glimpse of the murder mystery in the short first chapter and then endless set-up. We didn't reach Sussex until chapter 9. No sniff of murder or adventure yet.

The book is clever. Well of course it is considering who the author is. But not very interesting. The section set in the Brighton rock factory is almost soporific. Part way into a murder mystery do you want to know how seaside rock is made? It's a hard sugar confectionery that has been used to break generations of British children's teeth while on holiday. I didn't want to know either.